Flavor Flav's Legal Troubles: A History

Former Public Enemy star Flavor Flav seems to be constantly battling legal troubles

Rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav is no stranger to legal troubles and run ins with the law. Earlier this week he was sentenced to probation and further counselling after pleading guilty to lesser charges in a domestic violence case against him. To add to his legal woes he’s also facing another trial after being charged with felony speeding and driving without a license case. For the man who was born William Drayton these two incidents are just the latest in a career which has been marred by legal troubles.

Flavor Flav has just been sentanced to probation

Drayton’s legal troubles started long before he found fame with Public Enemy, the New York native who dropped out of school by the 11th grade was already finding himself in and out of jail for robbery and burglary at a young age. After forming Public Enemy with Chuck D, the group rose to fame with the release of 1988’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. The group's success, however, only worsened Drayton’s growing drug addiction as he dabbled with crack and cocaine. In 1991 his drug abuse had escalated and he admits to using, “‘Quaaludes, angel dust, PCP, cocaine, crack, alcohol, weed,” during the period. He was then arrested that year for domestic violence against his then girlfriend Karen Ross, who was the mother of his three children. Drayton pleaded guilty to assault and served a 30 day jail term whilst also loosing custody of his children. The rapper would attempt to get clean from drugs in 1993 after a family intervention, but his stint at the Betty Ford clinic didn't work on that occasion. Four years later he attempted recovery again after the death of his father checking into the Long Island Center for Recovery.

After his second rehab stint, Drayton attempted to start a new life with his girlfriend Beverly Johnson in the Bronx. The rapper managed to stay out of trouble for a few years until 2002 when he was charged with driving with a suspended license, violating his parole and failing to pay numerous parking tickets. He was subsequently sentenced to nine weeks in jail at New York's Rikers Island.

Flavor Flav first found fame in Public Enemy

In 2004, Flav found himself back in the spotlight, this time as a reality television star when he appeared on season 3 of VH1’s 'The Surreal Life'. His success on the show led VH1 to commission a spin, 'Strange Love' which followed him and fellow contestant Brigitte Nielsen. Drayton then landed his own solo show 'Flavor of Love', which ran for three seasons. Despite looking to have his life back on track after his new incarnation as a reality tv star, legal problems have still followed the former rapper. In 2011, he was arrested on four outstanding misdemeanour warrants for various driving offences, including ones for driving without a license, driving without insurance, and one related to a parking citation.

It was in October 2012 that Drayton was arrested on the domestic violence charge that he has since be sentenced to probation for. In the incident involving his girlfriend’s son, who was a minor at the time, It was alleged that Drayton had threatened to kill the teen and chased him to a bedroom and stabbed a knife through the door during an argument. Drayton would later testify that he did wield a kitchen knife during an argument at the family’s home in Las Vegas. Originally Drayton was charged with felony assault and child endangerment with a weapon charges which could have landed him in prison for 12 years. Later the charges were lowered to a misdemeanour attempted battery that could have caused substantial injury and battery constituting domestic violence. Drayton pleaded guilty in a deal which saw the charges reduced and a sentence of probation and further counselling.

Flavor Flav still has another charge to contend with

Drayton’s legal troubles are not however over. He is next due in court over charges of felony speeding and driving without a license stemming from an incident in Mineola, N.Y. Police were also reported to have found a small amount of marijuana in the rapper’s car. For now, it seems like Michael Drayton aka Flavor Flav is in for another rocky year of legal troubles something which unfortunately for the rapper he must be well used to by now.